By Dr. Yannick Pauli
You're probably familiar with the mechanism by which refined sugar in candy and sweets aggravates the symptoms of ADHD. Briefly speaking, the body metabolizes refined sugar quickly and causes a spike in energy levels. This triggers hyperactive and impulsive behavior. However, the effects of sugar wear off in half an hour and
cause a "crash," which triggers the inattentive symptoms. You might be wondering if aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are a safer alternative to refined sugar, but nothing could be further from the truth. Aspartame is a chemical sweetener that causes ADHD symptoms in the same way artificial additives can.
Aspartame is made up of two naturally occurring amino acids - L-phenylalanine, and L-aspartic acid. When it is digested by the body, aspartame gets broken down into these basic amino acids, including methanol and phenylalanine. Studies show that children with a genetic disease called phenylketonuria (PKU), a condition that prevents the proper utilization of phenylalanine, may be in danger of severe ADHD symptoms if they consume high amounts of aspartame. If left undetected and untreated, PKU can cause slow brain development, mental retardation, and impaired brain function. Learning disabilities, seizures, and hyperactive behavior are just some of the problems found in PKU children.
Other research shows that some manufacturers of aspartame fail to adhere to internationally recognized safety standards. Poorly-made aspartame breaks down into formic acid and the chemical preservative formaldehyde if exposed to warm temperatures. Formaldehyde is a strong neurotoxin that can cause severe damage to the nervous system and eyes. This is why aspartame consumption can lead to blurry vision, headaches, and behavioral problems like ADHD.
Instead of using aspartame as an alternative to refined sugar, try using natural sweeteners like raw agave nectar and raw honey. Both are enzyme-rich substances that taste wonderful and do not produce hyperactive symptoms if taken in moderation. Another alternative is natural stevia extract, because it contains no calories and no sugar, making it safe for those who have diabetes. When baking, you can try using molasses, barley malt, or rice syrup. If you're having trouble getting the texture of your dough right using liquid sweeteners, look for recipe books on baking without refined sugar.www.facebook.com
Alternatives to soda include natural fruit juice, but you need to exercise caution when selecting your drink at the supermarket. Most processed fruit drinks claim to be all "natural" and made from "real" fruit juice when they actually contain mostly sugar and artificial flavor. One way to discern processed fruit juice from real fruit juice is to watch out for ingredients like aspartame and sucralose, an artificial sweetener that comes from refined sugar. Keep an eye out for artificial colorings (labeled with a color and number, e.g., Orange 3) as well. Finally, all foods and drinks carrying the "organic" label have to adhere to certain standards overseen by a certification body. Check packaging for the name of the certifying body that guarantees the authenticity of the organic label. ADHD Causes: Aspartame
Friday, January 14, 2011
ADHD Causes: Aspartame
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Need Help With The Hoarding Behavior?
By Brooke S. Carter
Are you looking for ways in order to treat compulsive hoarding? Maybe, that is the reason why you reached this article. There is no need to worry, though, as there are a lot of help with the hoarding behavior that you can find. What you need to think about is how you will be able to apply those help. If you are the hoarder, you may
find it difficult to take the next step in treating your behavior for you first need to realize and accept that you indeed have a serious problem that needs to be given solution with. Of course, you have already taken the first step as the first step on treating the behavior is looking for ways in order to put an end to it.
If you are not the hoarder and you are looking for help with the hoarding behavior because your loved one or friend is suffering from such behavior and you want to help him or her, then you will also face the same problem which is how to approach the hoarder properly without making him or her feel anxious or criticized. As you know, most hoarders refuse to seek for help as most of them think that there is nothing wrong with their behavior and there is nothing to be corrected in them. Providing hoarders with the best and effective help with the hoarding behavior can be very challenging on the part of the helper. It takes a lot of patience and understanding.
In order to effectively provide help with the hoarding behavior, you first need to understand the situation of the hoarder. You then try to show the hoarder that you indeed want to help him or her no matter what it takes. Show them compassion and care. Make them feel at ease and get their trust. Once you have become successful in this goal, it can already make the process easier for you. You can then tell the hoarder that you are willing to help him or her live a healthy and normal life. You may refer the hoarder to a doctor or a therapist that can further help in treating the behavior.www.facebook.com
Brooke S. Carter once suffered from compulsive hoarding behavior. He found ways to put an end to compulsive hoarding and helps other people deal with the behavior through sharing his secrets about compulsive hoarding. She compiled all these secrets in his book "Reclaim Your Life!: The Ultimate Guide To Controling Compulsive Hoarding" for other people's benefit. You can also visit his website at Need Help With The Hoarding Behavior?
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Make It A Habit: Read To Get Smarter
By Hal Johnson
Exercise is good for the physical and mental health. Yes, we know almost everything about the proper exercising to strengthen the muscles, for stronger bones and for a good flow of the blood all over the body; but how about the brain? Do you know anything that will help us to get smarter?
Apart from the vitamins to keep us mentally healthy, our brain needs proper exercise too. Read to get smarter-this is the best way to stay on the ground and keep playing our cards of life. The intelligence is the key for more successful way of living; therefore, many suggest that one should read to get smarter and to stay focus. Read to get smarter and to exercise the brain.
In this article, you will get the chance to witness the benefits you can get from reading and how to maintain our mind healthy. As I take you further, you will discover that to read to get smarter is important.
To begin with, we all know that the intellectual capacity of every individual can be improved into a different level depending on how one will strive to achieve the best of what he wants. The same way on how we improved our muscles, our brain can also be benefit if we find time to get smarter. Although, there are many ways on how we exercise our brain, reading remains the best and on top of all those reasons.
Read to get smarter and talk everything about what you have read. It is not enough that you read only those that interest you the most. You must read to get stronger and to acquire new and useful knowledge. Look up to the information about everything because the more eager you are to learn, the more the brain is capable of learning. Do not restrict your intellectual capability only into the things that you want to learn but also take time to play to get smarter.
Try the brainteasers and puzzles to advance your skills in problem solving abilities. Always remember the famous line, "practice makes perfect."
Another famous line that you should remember is the "use it or lose it" and the "law of use and misuse," these can help you load to get smarter. Those lines are tried and tested over the years. If you will not use your brain, you might end up with nothing and with poor skills and abilities, and this will turn your life into ruins.
Reading is the best way to keep every system in your brain working and help them store facts and ideas, now download to get smarter. Take them all down to your brain and be smart to come up with fresh new ideas to do things and make your life comfortable. While your brain is working in storing new bright ideas, without noticing, your brain becomes fresh too because they copy to get smarter.
They reload all of them in the improved memory bank of your brain, which you can use in almost every time.
To help you more, here are some of the benefits you can get from reading to get smarter and few helpful tips on how to enhance your intellectual ability.
1. Reading can improve your ability to retain information well. Improving the memory is the best because most people tend to look it as the basis of intelligence. You may also try to jot down all of the ideas that you have not fully understood.
2. While studying, it requires you to read more than what you need and this will improve your study skills. If you have seen some errors, try to check to get smarter.
3. View to get smarter; even if you are interested with the topics offered in the certain page of what you are reading, take time to view what is in there. The authors will not put anything that is senseless and worthless for their readers.
4. Visit the library more often and read to meditate. This will help you to further concentrate and focus on something. It is always good that you have something to read ready at your hand.
5. Reading can relieve you from stress and tension. Instead of drinking and smoking, you can opt to convert to get smarter.
6. Be curious about almost everything in life and you will acquire more learning that will help you to understand them if you will read to get smarter.
7. Research is another form of reading. When you want to own something, most of the time, you do research. This will explain best why reading is important. You can do this in the magazines, newspaper or better yet, at the net where everything is just a click away. An effective way on finding what you need to know will answer all of your curiosity.
You have seen the good benefits that reading can give us. If the brain is healthy, of course, every system in our body will perfectly work too. At the top of all these, you see that there is some other ways enhance and to exercise the brain. Read to get smarter and to be a better individual.www.facebook.com
To read is to acquire new knowledge; knowledge we can use in our everyday living. Make it a habit-read to get smarter. Make It A Habit: Read To Get Smarter
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Children And Adults Struggling With ADHD Symptoms Are People Too!
By Robert D Hawkins
Societies and cultures throughout history seem to move in waves in order to get those who think and act differently than the majority to transform themselves into a more conventional way of thinking. This tends to work out pretty good for the majority, but rarely, if ever, turns out very well for the minority. It would not be
out of the question to conclude that this seems to be the direction many experts in the field of ADHD treatment seem to be traveling. If you are a parent of an ADHD child, or struggling with ADHD yourself, no one understands the paragraph above better than you do.
Nevertheless, though we are still in the early innings of completely deciphering ADHD we are light-years ahead of where we were a short ten years ago and this knowledge may open the door for greater acceptance and understanding.
Today we recognize that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is inherited over 50 percent of the time and there are entire families who have been fighting to overcome such challenging primary symptoms as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactive behavior for generations.
Today we also understand that there is a biological component to the condition, specifically an imbalance in dopamine, and possibly norepinephrine. There is also a theory that the terminals responsible for transmitting brain signals may be formed differently in ADHD individuals which in turn may have a great deal to do with the primary symptoms of this disorder.
In other words those with ADHD are just wired differently than the masses with one out of every 15 children having the condition and one out of every twenty adults. They are seeing the world differently and tend to approach life, social interactions, and problem solving from an entirely different perspective.
But what seems to be happening is that rather than embracing their gifts and utilizing their awesome creativity we are giving them harsh prescription medications and tough love in an attempt to make these very gifted children and adults fit accepted societal norms.
Perhaps this is the reason why so many struggle to live up to the academic standards expected of them. They will show signs of brilliance at times but then go back to their underachieving ways, not necessarily because of poor study habits, and certainly not because of bad parenting, but because their brains are wired differently with distractibility, inattention, and impulsive behavior reining supreme.
So when they face a project of interest that their brain is wired for they generally complete their task with ease. On the other hand when the signal must be rerouted around the damaged circuitry it will either get lost or force the brain to use excessive amounts of energy just to complete the thought process. The ultimate brain drain.
But by no means do these societal shackles assure failure! In fact some of the greatest minds in history are now thought to have been ADHD. Names such as Edison, Einstein, and Da Vinci who took five years to paint the famous chapel ceiling are all suspected to have had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Add this to the large number of current day technology giants with the condition and you have quite an impressive list of overachievers.
Do you think Da Vinci's brain was about to blow after nearly five years of painting the same small canvas! Nevertheless, despite the challenges with ADHD his work endures to today and is still considered to be one of the greatest artistic works of all time.www.facebook.com
In conclusion, if allowed to travel down a path to their liking those with ADHD can, and often do, achieve great things. On the other hand if they are forced to conform with societal norms they likely will need some help in the form of treatment options such as behavioral therapy or homeopathic ADHD remedies. Children And Adults Struggling With ADHD Symptoms Are People Too!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Smarter Options For The Treatment Of ADHD In Children - Facts To Help Parents
By Matthew V. Gant
I have just read an abstract from the European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry journal which states that the estimates of children and adults who do not respond to stimulant medicines for ADHD can range between 10% and 30%. If we take the upper figure, that is a very high rate of failure, by any standards. This is why the treatment of ADHD in children is so controversial right now.
There is general dissatisfaction and concern about what are controlled substances. After all, Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall and Vyvanse, by now household names, are nothing more than a mix of amphetamines. That is a fact that we must always keep in mind. It is no accident either that these are still classed as Schedule II drugs and we know what that means! It seems incredible that this is the third millennium and that this is the major treatment option.
Looking on the brighter side, we can be more confident that things are changing. Many medical authorities are worried about the reliance on prescription meds for what is basically a mental disorder which is a very mild one into the bargain.
Smarter parents now know that medicines are a two edged sword and are not even very effective. Their effects seem to wear off after a period of two to three years. The work of Dr. William Pelham of the University of Florida has proved that without a shadow of doubt. As he is a worldwide respected expert on ADHD, we can be confident that he knows what he is talking about and his conclusions have not been reached without thorough research.
So, what are the smarter options for the treatment of ADHD in children? First we need to look at how to teach children with ADHD what good and bad behavior is and what are the rewards and consequences of both of them. The only effective way we can do that is to adopt a behavior therapy program which has been specially designed by a behavior therapist and by somebody who has had wide experience of parenting problem kids.
The best help with ADHD children can be a multi pronged approach which includes behavior modification as I have mentioned above. But it should also include dietary changes. It has been proved over and over again that what we eat can affect our neural development so this is really important. There are foods which can actually help brain function such as Vitamin B and Omega 3, just to mention the two most important ones.
Then there is the whole question of finding an alternative to psychostimulant medication for the treatment of ADHD in children. We are looking for something that is both safe and effective. I can assure you that homeopathic remedies for ADHD really do just that. As they treat the whole child and can help restore calm and serenity, that can be a great help in getting on with the real task of raising happier and well balanced children, rather than zombies.www.facebook.com
Isn't it time you found out what these remedies are all about? I have built a website to help you get up to speed on this so that you can make an informed decision about what is right for your child. Smarter Options For The Treatment Of ADHD In Children - Facts To Help Parents
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Most Effective Compulsive Hoarding Help Available
By Brooke S. Carter
It is imperative for hoarders to seek for the best and most effective compulsive hoarding help available in order to avoid encountering further unwanted conditions and situations. Being a hoarder, your house is mostly full of clutter and piles of junk that easily attracts fire and pests. These are not just ordinary problems; they
are serious problems that need to be addressed right away. These problems may not only cause problems and harm to the hoarder, but also to the community. It may be a source of a huge fire that may burn houses to ashes and a source of illness and diseases that pests may bring. For these reasons, immediate attention and help should be given to hoarders.
There are a lot of compulsive hoarding help that you can find. It may be in the form of medications that are known to control the behavior. These conventional medications may be prescribed by your health care provider or doctor. In order to control the hoarding behavior, the thinking patterns of a hoarder should first be corrected. This is because hoarders have a different way of thinking as compared to individuals under normal condition. Hoarders seem not to make up their mind or come up with a concrete decision with regards to discarding their possessions. The reason behind this behavior; they are afraid that someday they will regret what they have done.
Upon discarding an item, hoarders feel depressed and anxious. So, in order for hoarders not to feel depressed or anxious, doctors prescribed them with conventional medicines known as anti-depressants. But, if the hoarding behavior is already malignant, most doctors would suggest their patients to undergo the best and most effective way of treating compulsive hoarding. This compulsive hoarding help is in the form of a therapy that gradually changes the thinking patterns of a hoarder. Often, this therapy is being performed on a one-on-one basis. The therapist visits the house of the hoarder everyday and tries to expose the hoarder to all his or her fears, making the hoarder realize that there is nothing to be feared about. The therapy that is being mentioned is the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.www.facebook.com
Brooke S. Carter once suffered from compulsive hoarding behavior. He found ways to put an end to compulsive hoarding and helps other people deal with the behavior through sharing his secrets about compulsive hoarding. She compiled all these secrets in his book "Reclaim Your Life!: The Ultimate Guide To Controlling Compulsive Hoarding" for other people's benefit. You can also visit his website at The Most Effective Compulsive Hoarding Help Available
Saturday, January 8, 2011
A Guide To What Are The Alternative Treatments For ADHD - Facts For Smarter Parents
By Matthew V. Gant
When looking at what are the alternative treatments for ADHD, the question of diet and food allergies often comes up and with very good reason.
I have just been reading about Dr. Doris Rapp's Book 'Is This Your Child? in which she outlines the environmental hazards that all our kids face from the places they
have to frequent such as schools, other people's homes and even our own homes!
She also deals with many of the aspects of ADHD hyperactivity, aggression and defiance in the home. Sometimes these are caused by food allergies and so it is really worth while checking this out. A difficult child and bad behavior may be the result of a food allergy. I know one parent who discovered that her son was allergic to twenty three different food items. After the discovery the child was able to improve and their home became a much happier place again.
In discussing what are the alternative treatments for ADHD, the question of an ADHD diet and various food allergies should not be neglected. This may be the real cause of the problem and ADHD may not be present at all. That is why this aspect should always be dealt with in diagnosing ADHD. There are so many conditions that mimic ADHD that it is really important to rule these out before starting to prescribe psychostimulants.
But food is not going to solve the ADHD problem. So, what are the alternative treatments for ADHD? The first one often mentioned is that of herbal remedies for ADHD. If you opt for these, whether they are Ayurvedic or Chinese herbs, make sure that the company you are buying them from is adhering to the GMP practice and is also manufactured in a FDA approved facility.
Some of the popular herbs are skull cap which is great for calming kids down. Then we have gingko biloba which can assist children with their attention span. The Ayurvedic herb known as brahmi or bacopa monniera can assist with memory, brain functioning and can be a great help for those kids with learning problems in general.
Another fact for smarter parents is that homeopathic remedies for ADHD have a certain advantage over the herbal remedies that I have mentioned above. This is because they are completely free of side effects and there are no health risks at all. That is a fact which nobody has been able to disprove in clinical trials.
Another fact is that there is no danger at all of these homeopathic preparations ever getting into the drug scene and your kid will never be the target of college kids looking for Adderall who want to study all night.www.facebook.com
If you want to find out what are the alternative treatments for ADHD, why not click through to my website where I have explained everything on one page to shorten your learning curve. There is no need to thank me but you can do me a favor by clicking through at least! A Guide To What Are The Alternative Treatments For ADHD - Facts For Smarter Parents
Friday, December 3, 2010
Eight Causes of Low Self-Esteem, Depression and Anxiety
By Coral DuBay
Self-esteem is a way of thinking, acting and feeling about yourself that says you respect, trust, accept and believe in yourself. It must come from within. There are many causes of low self-esteem and include:
1. Overly critical parents
2. Significant childhood loss
3. Parental abuse
4. Parental alcoholism or drug abuse
5. Parental neglect
6. Parental rejection
7. Parental over protectiveness
8. Parental overindulgence
These are wonderful ways to make sure a child always feels worthless, afraid of the world, and filled with anxiety whenever new experiences are contemplated, let alone attempted. When all a child hears or feels is neglect, rejection or criticism he has nothing to compare that with. How can he not believe he is flawed and worthless? His parents are GOD and all-knowing. He would die if he didn't have them.
Another sure-fire way of killing off self-esteem is when siblings or total strangers abuse a child physically, emotionally, sexually or spiritually. This is telling the child that the world in general is not safe and that all of life is really meant to be a huge struggle. The child has learned that their sole purpose in life is to be used by others. It may be the only "love" they have ever received. It is like someone has stamped "PLEASE USE ME" on their foreheads. Love and abuse become all mixed up.
Many young women who are branded by their peers as "loose" or "party girl" have this background. When all a girl has been taught is that her sole purpose in life is to please others and that if she gets it just right she will be loved and appreciated in return, it is little wonder she is eager to be accepted by the boys she looks up to. Any thing they ask of her she will usually do. This view of the world is so distorted that she will not be loved, appreciated or accepted and runs all sorts of serious risks to her health and future happiness.
Depression is oftentimes the immediate result of low or no self-esteem. Male children are not immune from parental mistreatment and suffer acceptance and success anxiety. Boys who think they are worthless don't excel at group activities and shy away from those social situations where they would normally be able to meet more well-adjusted peers and learn better coping skills.
For both girls and boys the fact that they have been abandoned by their most important caregivers will be registered at a deep subconscious level and will affect how they handle all their relationships going forward.